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tirnrns FRANCE A. HAL-SE31, OF SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF 1 "l'O vVlLLiAM C. SAVAGE; V SAME PLACE.

ssronshses PQWEDE'R.

SPECIFl-CATZGN i-rmizrg part of Letters P'etent No. 596,324, dated December 28, 1897.

Application filed February 19,1397, Serial fin. 624,231. (e specimens.) I v To (all whom it ot/r 1 concern.-

Be it known that l, FRANCIS A. HALSEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Rafael, county ol. Iilarirn-Stnte of California,

5 have invented on improvement in Smokeless Powder; and I hereb, declare the following to be a. full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to improvements in the manufacture ofexplosive compounds, and especially to that class known as smokeless gunpowder it consists in a composition of ingredients which, while non-explosive separately, will,

:5 when combined, produce an explosive with a. very small amount of smoke or colored fumes, and which is suitable for use in guns by reason of lon' initial or breech n'cssure and a comparatively high muzzle velocity.

My powder and its manufacture will be more fully described ivy reference to the following specification.

In the mai'iul'ucture of my powder I employ a combination of alkalinenxctal and alkalineenrth-i'netnl sells, essentially non-explosive in themselves, but capable by their union of producing a suitable powder for use in guns.

The representative and equivalent substances n'l'cli I. employ are. potassium or 0 sodium h trnte, poles um or dium permanganate, or potassium pcrtungstetc, or equivalent analogous salts, in conjunction with ammonium picratc and sodium or potassium or analogous silicu-te. When mixed in the proper proportions and granulated, a powder is made having a, hard moisture-resisting grain not easily pulverized or broken up. These substances are mixed in zip-proxi- 4o matel y the following proportions: ammonium picrute, lifty per cent; niehromate of an alkaline metal, such as potassium or sodium, twelve per cent. nitrate of an alkalineenrth metal, such 2.5 barium or strontium,

twenty per cent; five per cent. of sodium or potassium permanganate or potnssiumpertungstzlte, wolfrnmate, onanalogousfpermanunate or tungstetc, which is easily decomposed when ignited in contactwith ammonium 5o piorate, and thirteen per cent. sodium or potassium silicate.

.nrutc, hnrium or strontium ni- In preparing this powder I first grind or pulverize the ammonium picrete and the barium or other elkaline-earih-metnl salt which may be employed into n fine powder; I' then dissolve the alkalinebichronmte and the permnngana-te or pertungstatc separate inboiling Water. The mumonium picrn'te and pot-as sium bichroniate are mixed and the solution of permanganate or pertungstnte is added slowly, after which the nitrate of strontium. may be added to the mass, and finally the sodium or potassium or other silicate, and the whole thoroughly mixed in any suitable mixing-machine so as to l'orm 2L stili"; paste, which is afterward dried and granulated to suit the conditions under which it is to be used.

It will be understood that the proportions of the materials herein used may be varied without essentiallynltering the character of the composition.

By the addition of the sodium or potassium or analogous silicate I am enabled to make the grains of powdorhnrder and protect them from crumbling and forming dust, and also protect them from the action of moisture to which the powder may be exposed.

I have here described one method of ing the ingredients whichl have found to be satisfactory; but I do not limit myself to this particular method, as the ingredients may be mined in other waysnnd the resultant powder be the same,

I have 'nlso mentioned various alkalincmetal chromntes or bichromates, alkaline v earth-metal nitrates, alkaline-metal silicates, and alkal ine-metal permangauates or pertungstates, and. in so Wording inyclaim as to avoid objectionable alternatives I wish it to be understood that the particular salts therein mentioned are representative of the other equivalent salts.

A powder thus compounded may 'be used Wherever an explosive is necessary; but in 5 the proportions herein described it is particularly designed for use in guns. I This compound is exploded. in the usual way by the use of fulminatcs in the form of primers applied to the shells conlainingthe powder or by the use of caps, so called, when used in blasting or other large operations.

Having thus described my invntion, what In witness wherenf I have hreunto setmy I claim as new, and desim tqsecm'e byLettel's hand. Patent, is-

w'w QZJ. vAcompoundconsistingofzm alkaline-metal I ID M 5 chronmtgau alkaline-@1111 metal nitrate, \Vitncsses;

ammonium picmtc, an alkaline-metal per-- 1 S. H. NOURS'E,

fimngauate and an alkaline-metal silicate. JESSIE .U. Bkomm. 

